LinkedIn is considered the most effective social network website for job seekers and recruiters. Although LinkedIn profiles are regularly accessed to evaluate candidates, we know very little about the type of information conveyed. The aim of this study is to determine if LinkedIn profiles convey accurate information about individuals’ personality traits. Drawing from signaling theory, we expect that individuals portray themselves in a manner that will reflect their personality. To examine this assertion, 607 LinkedIn profiles were coded on 33 indicators. Regression analyses and classification statistics demonstrate that Linkedin profiles contain accurate signals of personality traits. Potential use and limitations of LinkedIn as a source of accurate information about personality are discussed.

LinkedIn 被认为是求职者和招聘人员最有效的社交网站。尽管经常访问 LinkedIn 个人资料来评估候选人，但我们对所传达的信息类型知之甚少。本研究的目的是确定 LinkedIn 个人资料是否传达了有关个人个性特征的准确信息。根据信号理论，我们期望个人以反映其个性的方式描绘自己。为了检验这个断言，607 个 LinkedIn 个人资料被编码在 33 个指标上。回归分析和分类统计表明 Linkedin 配置文件包含个性特征的准确信号。讨论了 LinkedIn 作为有关个性的准确信息来源的潜在用途和局限性。